Character Interview: Yelena from Rebel's Daughter by Rebeka Borshevsky

My blog has been greatly honored today! I get to interview a princess! Granted, she is entirely fictitious, but that hardly matters! 

Beka, from The Other World, arranged an exchange of character interviews. She is interviewing my character Tryss from my novel-in-progress, Moonscript. Go and see! And today, I get to interview a character from her novel-in-progress, Rebel's Daughter...the Princess Yelena! But first, perhaps you'd like to hear the teaser for Rebel's Daughter.

REBEL'S DAUGHTER 
Rebeka Borshevsky

She is many things. Rebel's child. Rising revolutionary. Firebird. Phoenix. Villain. Hero. The key to the monarchy's very destruction. But the only thing more deadly than a revolution is a traitor to its cause. Because even a Firebird can fall--and when she does, everything will burn.

Yelena is not the main character, but she is an important one. The story focuses on Anya, one of the leaders of a revolution against the monarchy of Russak, but... 

As tension builds, Anya also befriends the prince and princess of the nation. But their very birth spells them out for death, and when the time comes for the revolution to strike, Anya must make a choice—

Between legacy and love, father and friendship, past and future. The choice she makes will not only affect the fate of her country, but that of the entire world.

To learn more, visit this post with Rebeka talking about it and sharing a sneak peak! So would you like to greet the Grand Duchess of Russak? May I introduce...

Princess Yelena!

Sketch by Rebeka

*Curtsies prettily* Thank you for visiting my blog today, Princess Yelena. It is such an honor. Could you please give an introduction to yourself for our reader’s sake?

            *curtsies back*

            Greetings, Hannah. Thank you for having me. This blog—this invention—is so curious. So many people all connected…how I wish we had such devices in my homeland! I would never be lonely again…

            Carrying on, my full name is Grand Duchess Tsarevna Yelena Nikolaievna Rovanova. My friends, however, call me Elena. I am the eldest daughter of the tsar of Russak. I have many siblings, but the one to whom I am closest is the brother after me, Alexei. He is the heir to the throne, however, so he is constantly busy with the tsar and the other young men in the political sphere. Not to mention the war… And when he’s not busy with either of those, Mother insists on smothering him. She frets over him incessantly…

            Forgive me. You must think me incredibly dull and dreary. Let us think of happier things.

            I do not have very many hobbies beyond the dancing, music, and literature any royal would learn. For the most part it is merely decorative, meant to make me more appealing for a political match. But Father lets me do other things as long as I do not draw attention to myself and the palace, and Mother does not much care what I do. So I often venture beyond the palace walls with my guard, Prokhor. There is a great cathedral in the midst of the city, from the time of my great-great-great-great grandmother. I help the priest, Mikhail Olonski, and his son, Matvei… *blushes, clears throat* I help them serve the poor. I find it more fulfilling than any duties at the palace.

            Hmm, let me see. Oh, I love to eat. Borsch is my favourite recipe—and it’s quite simple to make. Beets, carrots, meat—truly, you can throw anything you like into the soup. It is the one dish that unites poor man and rich…

            I apologize. I never realized before how much I can ramble. *smiles*

            Oh, I’m delighted to hear you ramble! I’m so glad to hear more! As princess of Russak, your lifestyle must vastly differ from ours. Could you describe a typical day for you?

It depends greatly on the visitors. If there is no great noblewoman who wishes to entertain my mother, myself, and my younger sisters, I could go a full day without seeing any member of my family. If that is the case, Prokhor and I slip out into the city to see Mikhail and Matvei. Unless it is a feast day, my family does not all eat together. I usually eat in my chambers with my attendants whenever I do not stay late in the city. If I do stay in the city, I eat the evening meal with Mikhail and Matvei.

            They do not realize I am the Grand Duchess, you see. They believe me an ordinary girl—Prokhor knows to stay out of sight while I am with them. It is fascinating what they talk about with me. Matvei is very passionate about the city’s poor, which I lo—admire. Admire. He wishes to open up an orphanage one day. All the children…

That’s one thing Anya—though quite grudgingly, mind you—admits she likes about him. But usually, he and Anya argue so much about the proper role of the church in the politics of the nation. To be quite truthful, despite all my education, much of what they talk about I cannot understand. I am not the greatest fan of politics. I think it interferes too much with simply loving and serving other people.

            Anyways, I will continue with answering your question. If a noblewoman wishes to visit with my family, I usually dress in my finest robes and have my hair pinned up. On these days, Mother and Father arrange for a ball so that my sisters and I might have fun with our friends. To be honest, many of the young women who come are too young to be my friends. Their older sisters have already been married off and are busy travelling with their husbands to different places in Russak and other lands for diplomacy. So usually I make certain my sisters stay out of trouble and do not go scampering off to spy on the young men as they fence or ride the flying horses…or whatever the young men do on the palace grounds.

            But, on the seventh day of every week, Alexei and I have afternoons off after we attend church. Then we fly around on our horses, and have a chance to talk.

Matvei told me the other day he’s never been on a flying horse before, and I think that such a tragedy…

What is your absolute favorite thing to do?

Oh dear. I fear I have already answered that. Flying my horse, Baba Yaga. I named her so because she has such a thin white mane and an awfully long nose. She looks a bit like an old crone, but I do love her dearly.

Is there something you’re mortally afraid of? Something that scares most people, but you don’t have a problem with?

I have experienced very little pain in my life compared to those poor I have met in the streets. So I do not know if I am mortally afraid of anything. I am afraid of the ocean, I must admit, and all the creatures who lurk in its depths. I have never been to the southern coast, and as of now I have no plans to. I have heard it is far too temperate—I enjoy the brisk northern air far better.

            Wait, perhaps I am… oh dear, it sounds so frightfully sentimental! I am afraid of loneliness.

            Most of the common people fear heights—I know Matvei hates them. He always forces one of the younger boys to ring the bell to summon people to the church services. I love heights—love the rush of wind in my hair, the flapping of the horses’ wings as though I am surrounded by angels… *sighs* I actually rang the bells once. Matvei clucked like a mother hen, but it was perhaps the most enthralling moment of my life!

I hear the world you live in is slightly steampunk! What is your favorite invention and least favorite?

Ahh, the world beyond Russak! I have heard so many tales of the flying machines and noisy, rumbling automobiles—what a curious word—but the history of Russak…we are not yet so fortunate. I will not fill your ears with the sobering accounts of our past, my friend—but currently Father’s troops are too busy fighting a war with the empire to the east over a tiny plot of land to work in the factories. Hence, we are far behind the rest of the world in terms of machinery and inventing. Ridiculous, if you ask me. But nobody does…

Personally, I believe, should I ever have the chance to ride one I should enjoy a flying machine very much. Automobiles, on the other hand, do not appeal very greatly. Anya has told me so many horror stories from when she lived in the great city of Lendin to the west. Too noisy, and very dangerous.

I hear there are magical creatures in your world! Which is your favorite and least favorite?

I do not consider them “magical”. Magic is the domain of Mother’s dearest friend, the sorcerer Ras. *shudders, bites nails before stopping herself* But I suppose, for your world, “magical” is the only word that might make sense. In that case, flying horses are my favourite.

And my least favourite would be the rusalkas—the angry spirits said to live in the streams of the dark forests of the northeast. I know them to be only myth now, but when I was a child my older cousin told me that they ate little girls—just before Father was about to teach me to swim. Father had to bribe me with all manner of sweetmeats before I would set foot in the water. Alexei stuck a frog in Ivan’s bed to get back at him for me.

Rumors are spreading. Sparks are igniting. What is your opinion on this rising revolution? Do you fear for your safety?

I have heard the rumours, but I doubt the revolution shall come to pass. The poor have no means of rebelling, and the last revolution twelve years ago was vanquished by Father’s army. The revolutionaries this time will meet the same fate, I am sure.

As for my safety…my soul is at peace with the Creator. I do not fear death…only that I shall meet him alone.

Thank you so much for visiting, Princess Yelena! 

I must say, I'm quite intrigued by Rebel's Daughter. I hear it's Book One of a trilogy! May it be published one day so we can all read it!!!